


To Be Robin

by Capucine



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DCU
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Complicated Relationships, Dead Robins, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Post-Canon, i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-06-02 06:31:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6554932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capucine/pseuds/Capucine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce does not want anyone else to join him in his crusade. Not anymore.</p>
<p>But a kid who is too smart for his own good also has made a decision: he will not take no for an answer.</p>
<p>Hard place, meet rock.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Be Robin

**Author's Note:**

> Just thought this would be an interesting thing to explore! I would so love to see Tim Drake factor in to the next Batman movie, same with Dick and Jason (Damian would be further down the line, I'd think).
> 
> The movie hints were lovely. :) 
> 
> (Spoilers. Duh.)

A boy with eyes that should be brighter looked up at Bruce, hands clasped in front of himself politely.

And Bruce knew he had to have heard wrong. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, kid—you said Drake? Does my company own yours, or do the Drakes still have control? It is hard to keep track of—“

“Batman. You’re Batman,” the boy interrupted, a firm tone even as he looked strangely polite. “And you need a Robin.”

Bruce’s gut churned at the very idea. He didn’t know whether to continue in the lie, or dissuade the kid with the truth. “Even if I were Batman…what do you think happened to the last two Robins? I heard they both died.”

Tim—Timothy Jackson Drake, as he introduced himself—did not look deterred by this, nor by the look Bruce was giving him. He could only be so scary as Bruce Wayne. They were at a public function, even if Tim had backed him into a private corner.

“I’m not afraid of death.”

Bruce’s jaw clicked shut, too many memories in his head. “You should be.”

Tim’s eyes darted across his face, determining. “Not…unafraid. I just know that some sacrifices are worth it. Some things are. I don’t want to, but…I could. I know that.”

The kid seemed to have a strange sense of realism to him. In a way that a kid really shouldn’t have, and yet that Bruce sort of recognized.

This boy had clearly been through something too. 

Bruce let out a small breath through his nose. “Even if I were Batman, kid, I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t. You’re too young—“

“The others weren’t—“

“They _were_ ,” Bruce said, more sharply than intended. A pain he rarely let out except when alone coloring his voice.

Tim’s face fell a little, but suddenly turned back to businesslike. “Thank you for this impromptu meeting, Mr. Wayne. I hope we’ll talk again soon.”

“You and me both,” Bruce muttered, playboy attitude gone for the moment. And Tim gave a quick nod of the head, and suddenly departed towards the couple Bruce instantly recognized as the Drakes.

He had half a mind to somehow get them watching Tim more closely, because how in god’s name had a fourteen year old boy figured out that he was Batman? Was he another Lex Luthor, or was he not dangerous?

Bruce refused to even consider that he could be a help. No one else was getting drawn in.

After twenty years and two of his sons either dead or estranged for years, he wanted no more part of that.

He couldn’t know how persistent Timothy Jackson Drake was, though.

**Author's Note:**

> The prologue will be the shortest bit, to be clear. I just kinda wanted to start it off. Good times.
> 
> And more characters will probably be added.


End file.
